Fallout Lonestar
by AlphaPheonix
Summary: In the wake of the Legion's defeat at Hoover Dam, a new Caesar has set his sights on territory to the south. The once great state of Texas and it's governing body, the New Texas Government. With his home on the line, The Chief of security in Vault 28 must join the ranks of the Texas Rangers and push back the incoming threat with a few legendary allies alongside him.
1. Alamo City

**War. War never changes. In the year 2077, mankind was nearly wiped out by a global nuclear war, survivors began calling the Great War. 200 years later, mankind is continuing to reemerge. Places like the Capital Wasteland, NCR, New Vegas and the Northwest have begun the slow process of reconstruction and reestablishing society, but these attempts are not without conflict. Another area building up society once more is the New Texas Government, a coalition of surviving settlements from Texas' four major cities in the northeast, Dallas, Houston, Austin and the remnants of San Antonio. But no attempt is without problems. War between rival factions vying for control over their efforts in reestablishing civilization. **

**The Great State of Texas is no stranger to war. From 1810 to 1821, Texians fought for independence from Spain for Mexico. In 1835, Texians took up arms to gain independence for themselves from Mexico as well. From 1861 to 1865, Texans fought alongside their fellow Confederate States against the Union in the American Civil War. In the year 2288, Texas stands one of the few places scarcely touched by the Great War. ****And now, Texas finds itself on the brink of another war. This one against the forces of one of Post-apocalyptic America's largest and deadliest armies. Caesar's Legion. After the Legion's defeat at Hoover Dam, the new Caesar set their sights on the South, rather than the West. In light of the returning threat, the Texas Rangers, the NTG's standing police and military force, have been sent by the their leaders to its most populated cities and settlements to recruit soldiers to defend their home.  
**

* * *

A man woke up at the crack of dawn and yawned as he stretched out before getting out of bed. After going through his morning routine, he clipped on his PipBoy and attempted to turn it on, only for the dials to snap off. "Son of a bitch," he muttered before taking off the broken device. This man was Chief of Security for Vault 28. He ran a hand through his unkempt black hair and strapped his holster to his waist. He picked up his side arm, a Prewar Colt .45 revolver, and some spare ammo before grabbing a black Stetson and making his way out into the Vault proper. He pressed a button on the intercom by his door and sighed. "Preston. Call the eggheads and tell them it broke again."

"You know they're still pissed about you breaking it last time, you know," came the female voice on the other end. "What happened this time?"

"Hell if I know. Damn thing just out and busted on me. The dials jumped out like a Molerat on Jet."

"I'll let Angie know. You should report to the lab after your done making the rounds up top, Chief."

"Yeah, yeah. No rest for the Weary. Alright, making my way up."

"Oh, Overseer Michael wants to see you as soon as possible."

"Great. What now?"

"Hell if I know. I'm busy looking after the Drunk Tank."

"Great, give the difficult job to me."

"You are the chief."

"Bite me, Preston." The Chief sighed before nodding to a few of the other residents before making his way up the elevator to their Vault to the Alamo above.

Vault 28 was a Control Vault. Set to return to the surface with its twin, Vault 25, 75 years after the Great War. Upon returning to the surface, the Vaults set up their G.E.C.K.s and established supply lines between themselves and surrounding communities of survivors. Not long after emergence, word got out to the rest of the state and more communities outside of San Antonio started setting up caravan routes to properly trade resources between them and the Twin Vaults. Vault 28 became the biggest trading city within the newly formed New Texas Government, making it one of the busiest towns as well. Unlike most cities, San Antonio was oddly untouched. The warheads aimed at its heart landing to the country to the north of the city. No one knew why this was the case, but to be frank, no one cared as long as they had a safe place to trade and possibly settle in without high amounts of radiation in the air.

The Chief made it top side and nodded to the Vault Security by the entrance before making his way out to La Marketa, the trading area surrounding the Alamo in the ruins of downtown San Antonio. Upon arriving the usual line of stalls lined the wall protecting the entirety of the Alamo settlement. He pulled on a dark brown duster to cover his jumpsuit and made his way to the market. "Hey, Jefe," called one of the caravan traders. "Care for some Nuka Cola?"

"The day I drink that swill, Diego, is the day I've lost my damn mind."

"Come on! It's rad free!"

"I'm calling bullshit right there. Want me to arrest you for false advertising?"

"It's true! Mano a Dios!" The man rose his right hand and held out a bottle with the other. The Chief quirked an eyebrow before taking the bottle from the trader. He sniffed it before taking a sip. The familiar burn of irradiated soda was missing and instead the cool taste of a clean caffeinated beverage washed over his tongue. The Chief looked at the bottle in shock as Diego smiled. "Muy bueno, huh?! One of the caravans found a lead-lined truck filled with these! Cost me a lot of caps! But I'll make plenty more!"

"How much, Diego?"

"For you, Jefe? On the house for this one. After that, 30 caps."

"Considering the rarity, that's justified." The Chief handed the trader a small bag of caps. "I'll take two more."

"Gracias, Señor! Hasta luego!" The Chief nodded before making his way to La Marketa's outskirts and its protective wall.

"Gonzalez! Where the hell are you?!"

"Other side of the wall, Chief," called a man behind the stone wall. The Chief climbed the rafters and looked over the wall to see Gonzalez, one of the guards for La Marketa, patching up a hole in the wall. "Damn raiders thought they could shoot the hell out of the wall to break in last night. You missed one hell of a shootout."

"It was my day off, shoot me. Where'd they go? I don't see any bodies."

"Took off heading north. Caballeros territory."

"Caballeros. Can't tell if they're stupid or brave going there. Anything else happen?"

"New girl came into town last night with a ghoul."

"A ghoul? Haven't seen one of those around here in a while."

"I know what you mean. Apparently, they're starting their own settlement to the west. Outside the Trade Routes."

"Going independent, huh? Well, can't say I blame them. Damn bigots in the other towns as well as the occasional one here."

"Why don't you have a problem with them, Chief?"

"They're still human, Gonzalez. Least we can do is treat them with some dignity. Finish patching up the hole and get back to your rounds. Those raiders come back, I want someone up on the wall to keep an eye out."

"You got it, Chief." The Chief left La Marketa and made his way to Villa, the housing area of the Alamo settlement. Here, families of Vault Dwellers and settlers alike lived outside of the Vault to improve relations between both sides. As he made it to the middle of Villa, a kid ran over to him.

"Chief! Chief! My Molerat is missing! I don't know where she could've gone!"

"I'll keep an eye out for her. She can't have gone far. I'll bring her back to your house when I find her."

"Thank you, Chief! Thank you!" The Chief tipped his hat before leaving Villa and heading out of the wall.

"Where you goin', Chief," asked one of the guards.

"Checking on the brahmin pens. Gonzalez said he spotted raiders shooting at the market wall. Want to make sure they weren't the smart kind."

"Smart raiders? That'll be the day."

"Better watch what you say, Chase. Don't want your words coming back to shoot you in the ass." He made his way to the barn where cows, horses and longhorn were raised and allowed to stay. A nearby radio played Big Iron on Alamo City Radio, housed atop the Tower of America, one of the still standing buildings in the San Antonio ruins.

"Hey Chief," said the woman in charge of the barn.

"Samantha Hawkins. Any problems?"

"Other than Ol' Sarah stampin' up a storm all night. Not really. Why you ask?"

"Raiders spotted at the market wall. Just checking in."

"You and your paranoid mind. There is no such thing as a smart raider."

"Tell that to the Legion, Sam. You know as well as I do it doesn't take a whole group of them, just one."

"So you say. So you say. You feelin' like takin' Sarah for a spin?"

"Not today, Sam. Tell her I'm sorry. But I got busy day ahead of me."

"You don't nearly take her out as much as you should. I've had to give her exercise myself since you bought her."

"Well being Chief doesn't give me a lot of days off, Sam."

"That's no excuse."

"And Michaels doesn't want me riding her through town like an old sheriff. Not unless I want to clean her mess myself before it gets people sick."

"At least say hi to her and go for a quick ride around the pens before you go. Poor girl misses you." The Chief sighed before making his way into the barn and up to black haired horse. With the emergence of Vaults 28 and 25 came the beginning of not just terraforming from the G.E.C.K.s but also the return of normal, non-mutated animals. Cows, horses, longhorns, chicken and all of them genetically modified as embryos to be rad-resistant. The Chief pat the horse's side and smiled as she snorted in greeting.

"Hey there, girl. Heard you were restless." Sarah replied with a swish of her tail. He grinned and placed his saddle on her back, strapping it in place before climbing up. "Once around the pens, girl. That's all the time I can spare today." Sarah snorted before taking off. The Chief smiled as he rode the horse around the pens. Running beside a heard of longhorn who'd been let out to get some exercise and keep in shape before being returned to the pens. The ranchers keeping an eye on the herd nodded at him as they kept pace before Sarah broke off on her own and towards the ruins. "Whoa girl. Not to the ruins." The horse ignored him and got as close as possible before slowing and rearing up. The Chief looked ahead of her and spotted a corpse hidden under some rubble. It looked fresh and was wearing what looked like Prewar sports gear. "What the hell?" Climbing off Sarah, he moved the rubble aside and rolled the corpse over. "Legion. Why are you here?" He searched the corpse over and removed some ammunition, poison vials, and a note.

_Head into Alamo City and do what you can to bleed them dry. Poison their herds, ruin their crops, do whatever you can before we make our way into Texas. Burn this note when you're done reading it._

_Vulpes Inculta_

"What the hell?" He checked the corpse again and saw claw marks on the body. "Deathclaw. Well that's just dandy." He climbed back onto Sarah and looked around, worried. "Come on, girl. Let's head back. Something's not right." Sarah jotted back to the barn, the Chief looking around cautiously as she did. After getting back to the barn and putting Sarah in her stable, the Chief made his way back to Alamo City. He turned to the guards at the gate and frowned. "Hey. Keep an eye out. Found a corpse in the ruins nearby. Slashed apart by a Deathclaw."

"Deathclaw," asked one of them. "Should we get the big guns ready?"

"Yeah. If we have a Mother on our hands, we need to be ready for hungry Hatchers possibly going after the cattle. I want missile turrets facing the ruins. I don't know if it's just one wandering around, but just in case there's a nest starting up, we need to be ready."

"Missiles won't stop an enraged Mother, Chief."

"No, but it'll send a message to her not to let her children go this way. They have a family mentality, Dietrich, a Mother will do everything in her power to protect her young. And we'll do everything in our power to protect our own. I gotta report this to Michaels."

"Gotcha. Hey, Preston said she needs help in the Drunk Tank."

"I thought she could handle those guys while they were nursing a hangover."

"Normally, yeah. But apparently this one is more than she can handle." The Chief sighed before heading back to the Vault. On his way, he heard a rustling nearby. Looking into a pile of trash he spotted a Molerat with a bow on its head gnawing away at half eaten vegetables.

"Hey! Get on home!" the Molerat jumped and scampered away, leaving the Chief to shake his head and go on his way.

"Chief," cried one of the settlers. "What's going on?! Why's a Ranger here?!"

"A Ranger? This is the first I'm hearing of this."

"He strolled into town a few hours ago."

"Must be what Michaels wants to speak with me about. Nothing to worry about." He handed the settler ten caps before heading to the Vault and nodding for them to send him down. Before heading to either the Drunk Tank or the Overseer's office, he made his way to the labs and ducked under a wrench flying for his head.

"Three in one month! I've never met anyone as careless as you," shouted the woman in a lab coat glaring angrily at the Chief.

"Good morning to you too, Angie. Look I swear this time it wasn't me. Just woke up and the dials snapped off."

"Only you could manage to break a PipBoy even once! But three times?!"

"Can you just fix it?"

"Do you have it on you?" The Chief sighed.

"No, I left it lying on the floor of my bedroom."

"Then go get it!"

"Jesus, Angie. You sure you ain't half Screecher?"

"So help me God…"

"I'm going. Jesus." The Chief returned to his room and picked up the busted PipBoy and its dials before bringing them back to the lab. Angie looked over the PipBoy before the glaring at him.

"How the hell did you do this?!"

"Stop screaming at me. No wonder you can't keep a man." He ducked under another tool and sighed. "That temper of yours is a real turn off."

"Shut up, asshole!" She turned back to the PipBoy and sighed. "This thing is too busted to repair as it is. You're just going to have to go without one for a while."

"Oh sure. And when I get shot because I can't see a raider it's on you." Angie growled before going to a case and pulling out another PipBoy. This one wasn't a wrist mounted device. Instead it was a handheld device. "What is that?"

"An older, more valuable model. Break it and you're going to pay severely."

"When did you…?"

"Despite the constant demands to fix things, I do have a life!"

"This says otherwise." Angie threw another wrench at his head.

"Get out of my lab!" The Chief chuckled softly before tipping his hat and heading to the Drunk Tank. He looked beside him as a bottle of whiskey hit the wall by the door and glanced at who threw it. It was a woman with red hair tied in a ponytail hidden under a light brown Stetson. She wore blue jeans and a green shirt and was currently wrestling with a woman in Vault Security Armor for another bottle of whiskey.

"It's mine," said the woman. "Give it back!"

"So you can hurl it at my head again," asked Preston. "Hell no!"

"Preston. Just give her the damn bottle. If she passes out again, it's just back to the tank." Both women glanced up at him before Preston kicked the woman off of her and to the Drunk Tank before stuffing the bottle into a safe in a desk.

"You took your sweet ass time."

"Getting a new PipBoy from Angie. Though I have no idea how to use this damn thing yet."

"Broke another one, huh?"

"Shut up." The Chief went to the woman as she leaned against the cell and sighed.

"Mind tellin' me your name, darlin'?"

"Up yours," she replied.

"Cute. Sober her up, Preston and send her on her way. Just get her out of the Vault and Alamo City."

"I have business here. Meeting someone. They're late."

"I don't care. You make problems for my people you get the boot. You got three hours to leave, Up Yours." He nodded to Preston and headed for the Overseer's office. "Alright, Michaels. What's the problem?"

"Hello Chief," said the Overseer. A man of forty years with sandy brown hair and dark green eyes wearing the Vault 28 jumpsuit. "This is Vincent Price." He gestured to a man wearing the familiar brown trench coat of the Texas Rangers and had his riot helmet sitting on the desk beside him. "He's a Ranger Elite from Dallas."

"Pleasure to meet you, Chief," said Vincent. The two men shook hands and showed their respect to one another.

"What's the NTG doing here," asked the Chief.

"Recruiting," said the Overseer. "Wouldn't tell me what for exactly."

"Need to know, I'm afraid," said Vincent.

"It's the Legion isn't it," asked the Chief. The Ranger looked at him in surprise. "Found a spy torn to shreds in the nearby ruins. Deathclaw. He was apparently trying to ruin things here."

"How are you sure he was Legion?"

"Had their stupid repurposed sports gear on."

"If it were Frumentarii, they wouldn't be in armor. They'd have infiltrated in civilian garb."

"Then maybe they're already here. But if that were the case, would they be stupid enough to warn us of the plan?" Chief handed him the note. The Ranger frowned as he went over it.

"Vulpes Inculta? Word was he was killed alongside the first Caesar in the Mojave."

"Those were just rumors from the caravans. NCR never found the body when they stormed their fortress," said a voice from the doorway. The Chief turned around and spotted the woman from the Drunk Tank.

"Ma'am," he said, tipping his hat.

"And who are you," asked the Overseer.

"Call her Rose," said the Ranger with a smirk. "Pisses her off."

"Asshole," said 'Rose'. "Call me Cass. I was fighting during the Second Battle for Hoover Dam alongside my friends."

"You're the one who wanted to meet with me," asked Price.

"Yeah. Was hoping you could help me with a personal matter. In exchange, I give you all the intel NCR Rangers gathered on the Legion 3 years ago."

"That intel is outdated," said Price. "Someone new is leading the Legion. They have different tactics than the older Caesar. Different methods of engagement. And possibly different infiltration methods as well. I suggest you check anyone who's come through town recently. Alamo City is a major trading and settling station. They manage to take this place it'll mean they cut off supply trains between NTG and the towns to the south. Right now, we've tracked their main forces to the El Paso and Amarillo ruins. Right now, we're prepping the heavy artillery for any coming conflict."

"Missile silo in Dallas, right," asked Cass.

"No, ma'am. That is just rumors we let Foresteros pass around outside of Texas. We got tanks and Sentrybots we managed to repair and program to recognize us as the military."

"So why are you here," asked the Chief.

"Plain and simple. We have the tactical advantage in equipment, but we lack the numbers. We've engaged the Legion on several occasions, but we've lost Amarillo. They salted the earth after crucifying the defenders there."

"That's one of the wheat towns."

"It was. It's a ghost town now. We were attacked in the middle of the night up there and we don't plan on losing anymore cities any time soon. I've been sent to Alamo City to recruit capable fighters to help fight the Legion. Unlike the Mojave, we know our own home better than the NCR ever did. We also have reliable transport and can flank and outmaneuver the Legion. I don't plan on this being a long engagement. We're finishing the Legion as fast as possible, not waiting for them to dig themselves in."

"Where were you three years ago," asked Cass.

"With the real Rangers."

"So you want to recruit my men," asked the Chief.

"I want to recruit you. The Chief of Alamo City. Word reached Dallas about you. Best gun of the south."

"Just an urban legend, Mr. Price. Take it with a grain of salt."

"You don't gain the respect of three settlements just by word of mouth alone. Certain actions need to inspire people to believe the legend first-hand."

"Rumors do nothing but bring unwanted attention. Sorry, Mr. Price. But I'm needed here."

"Rhoades," said the Overseer. "Your men can handle this place on their own. Preston can hold down the fort."

"I'm surprised you want me to go, Boss."

"Truth of the matter, we need to make sure Alamo City survives. If that means sending you to the Dallas to help fight some idiots in skirts, then so be it."

"I really don't think…"

"Go, Rhoades. That's an order." Chief Rhoades sighed before turning to Price.

"When do we head out?"

"Soon as you're ready. Miss Cassidy, if you're still looking for help with your personal matter, meet me at the gate." Cass nodded before the two left the office and Chief Rhoades turned to the Overseer.

"Don't give me that look, Markus," said Michaels. "You and I both know we need to make sure our people are safe. Besides. You're not doing anyone service staying cooped up in the Vault at all times."

"Fine. I'll go. But you're gonna have to sweeten the deal for me."

"How would I do that? You're not getting paid for this."

"I want Betty."

"B-Betty?!"

"You heard right, Boss."

"Why would I give you Betty?!"

"Cause, you need me to come back and keep these idjuts in line. Betty will help with that." Michaels mulled it over before tossing him a set of keys.

"Keep her clean and up to spec, Markus, or I swear to Atom."

"Don't go preachin' that Children of Atom, brahmin shit. We both know you don't believe a word of that."

"Just… get out of here…" The Chief grinned before leaving the office and stopping by Angie's lab.

"Angie."

"I swear to god if you've broken it already," shouted the scientist.

"No, no. I don't even know how to work it."

"It's simple. While it doesn't have the same V.A.T.S. system as the 3,000 models and up, the 2,000 still helps with certain attributes. Considering your natural aiming and reaction speed, V.A.T.S. shouldn't be a problem. It'll keep track of your health via a sensor that'll attach to your glove to read your pulse. It'll keep track of your inventory as well and notify you if you're addicted to whatever Chems you end up taking along the way. And again. Don't break it. Is that all?"

"No. You uh… you got family up in Amarillo, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Ranger came down from Dallas. Amarillo was sacked." Angie stared at him for a few seconds, her mind trying to process this information. "Legion forces. There were survivors but…"

"...Why was that Ranger here?"

"Recruiting me to help fight the Legion."

"Do me a favor, head by Amarillo. Try and find my sister, Abigail. If she survived… I need to know." Markus turned to her and saw she had a haunted look in her eyes.

"Ange…"

"Just… please. She's the only family I have. Mark. Find my sister. Please. She's my twin. You can't miss her. Mark. If she's alive. Make sure she's alright. Bring her back here." The Chief sighed and pulled her into a hug. Angie didn't fight it. The two stood there for a moment before Angie pulled herself away and wiped away at her eyes as she turned her back on him. "Now get out of my lab." The Chief sighed softly before tipping his hat and leaving the lab. He made his way to the armory and found Preston there taking stock of the weapons they had on hand from the Vaults original inventory and what they've traded since Alamo City was established.

"Preston."

"Hey, Chief," she said. "Just making sure we've got enough Claw-Killers. Also checking the armor piercing ammos. Filters are acting funny, so I was taking a hunting team to the aquafer in case the Mirelurks are back or some raiders are bathing down there."

"Send Gonzalez instead. You're gonna have your hands full here."

"What are you going on vacation?"

"More like off to war. NTG wants me to help fight Legion up north. Michaels gave me the all clear. Until further notice, you're in charge." Preston dropped her clipboard before rounding on him.

"What?! You can't be serious! Me?!"

"Of course you. You're my second in command. You know all of the ins and outs of the Vault and Alamo City. And out of all of our people, you're the friendliest face we have."

"Lot of good that'll do against a raider with a shotgun."

"Stop doubtin' yourself, Sally. You may look sweet and innocent, but I've seen how you can get when you're angry. You're probably the toughest bitch this side of the Rio."

"Chief, you know I hate that word…"

"Just calling it like I see it, Sally. I know you can keep Alamo City safe. Just try not to let it get to your head." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a silver star badge before handing it to her. She stared at the badge for a moment before sighing.

"Fine. I'll do it. But I'm not being called Chief. That's you, Boss. Besides. It makes me sound old."

"Hey, I ain't that old." Markus chuckled and went to the special weapons lockers before unlocking the one labeled Betty and pulling out a scoped .45-.70 Government repeater rifle with a silencer and slung it on his back.

"He let you take Betty?"

"Special circumstances."

"He'll kill you if you lose or break her."

"No chance of that ever happening."

"Good luck, Chief. I'll hold down the fort. You kill some slavers for me."

"Can do." Markus tipped his hat and made his way topside where he met Price and Cass at the gate to Alamo City. "Y'all ready?"

"How long is the walk to Dallas," asked Cass. "I came to Texas via Vertibird."

"We ain't walkin'," said Price as he led them out. "We're riding. Fastest way to get around Texas is on a horse, darlin'. Just how long you been in Texas anyway?"

"Just a few weeks. Wait, you actually have horses down here? Actual horses?"

"How the hell do you think we manage to get news around as quickly as we do," asked Price. "NTG will pay for a horse of your own, Miss Cassidy. Mr. Rhoades, what about you?"

"Got my own horse. Don't waste your caps." He led them to the stables and walked over to Sarah's stables.

"Where you off to, Chief," asked Sam as she looked up from an old copy of La Fantoma.

"Dallas, Sam. Off to war."

"I hope you're not taking Sarah into battle."

"Wouldn't dream of it. She'd just helping me get where I need to go. I wouldn't dream about putting her in danger." Markus unslung Betty and set the rifle into a holster in the saddle before climbing onto Sarah. "Ever ridden a horse before, Miss Cassidy?"

"Haven't even seen any before. Just in old holovids and books. Wait…" Markus grinned as she saw the cattle pen. "Are those one headed brahmin?"

"Cows, ma'am. Natural cows from embryos kept in Vault 25. Would prefer we have an open pasture for them, but with the critters still wandering the wastes, that's asking for too much. Sam. You got a spare saddle for Miss Cassidy here?"

"Sure do," said Sam. "It ain't pretty. But it'll get the job done well enough." Sam helped get an old saddle on a brown stallion and helped Cass on top of it. "There you go, ma'am."

"Thank you," said Cass. She turned to Price. "How long till Dallas?"

"Bout a day and a half," said the Ranger. "We're gonna stop by a scavenging town after Austin before getting to Dallas. Stock up on supplies and give the horses a break."

"Sounds good."

"At least we're going through Austin. A friend of mine went on ahead while I was in the bar last night." The Chief shook his head before turning to her.

"Watch us as we go full gallop. Proper posture prevents injury on the trail." Cass nodded. "Lead the way, Ranger."

"Don't gotta tell me twice," said Price. "Yah!"

"Come on, Sarah!"

"Giddyap," shouted Cass, not knowing what else to say.

* * *

**(Caballeros Territory)**

Northeast of Alamo City in an old military bunker, a woman is brought in front of multiple people wielding laser and plasma rifles aimed at her head. "Who the hell are you," asked one of the men in front of her. She looked the man in the eye and sighed.

"I used to be a Brotherhood Scribe," she said. "My name is Veronica Santangelo. I came here because I need your help. My friend came to Texas not that long ago and I need some help finding her. She's in grave danger! Please! You have to help me!"

* * *

**(Author's Notes)**

**This story is not related to any other project of the same name. Fallout Lonestar is an experiment into expanded fan universe for myself. With little to no knowledge about my home state, and no, I do not include parts of the Fallout Bible, Brotherhood of Steel game, or the Van Buren cancelled project as canon, I figured I'd throw my hat in the ring to try and make a satisfying story involving the unknown fate of Texas. If you think this is interesting, leave a review and let me know. If this is the first story you've read from me, welcome and I hope my other stories are to your tastes as well. For anyone familiar with my work, let me know how well I did on this and if you'd like to see more of this. For now, consider this a one shot and nod to the Fallout series and it's memorable characters. Until next time, Y'all!**


	2. Danger on the Road

Cass looked around as their horses canted along a road. "I've never seen so much open space before," she commented. "Not even the Mojave had this much land between so much as a building!"

"Welcome to Texas," said the Chief. "Prairie Land of the old United States. Because of the distance between major cities there was enough open land to avoid some of the fallout. The northeast being a main difference because they were still pretty close. Houston and Dallas were heavily populated areas but I think the aim was for the southern section of the state."

"Sounds about right," said Price. "After the war with Mexico, more military bases were built closer to the southern border meaning they had a higher military presence."

"But our state government wasn't about to let things go from bad to worse. We may not have had a lot of funds due to the oil running dry, but we had a few factories where Rob-Co manufactured their products. The governor at the time managed to move some funds around to have proper missile defenses made along the coast. We had three set up in Corpus Christi, Galveston, and Port Isabel. Don't know exactly how many missiles hit us, but I know we had enough space between major cities that it limited the casualties for those who couldn't get a spot in the Vaults and who tried going to the prairies. Though that was a bad idea in itself."

"Why," asked Cass.

"How much farmland do you think inexperienced city folk back then could find and use?"

"I don't…"

"We do. Most Texans nowadays learn the history of our ancestors and how to be proper farmhands as well as our regular jobs just in case something happens to the current ones. Better to have multiple people who know what they're doing than one person who could potentially fuck things up. Heard the Commonwealth had something similar but to a lesser degree of knowledge."

"Sounds handy."

"Better than letting everyone do as they please," said the Chief. "Otherwise you'd see a lot more failed settlements. No one can just up and learn how to till soil, plant and care for crops, and rotate them on instinct. You gotta learn that stuff. A lot of the deaths that occurred after the War were either from fallout, infighting, or starvation because they couldn't figure out how to farm. Price, am I missing-."

"Whoa," muttered Price, bringing his horse to a halt. Cass and the Chief followed soon after and Cass turned to him.

"What's wrong," she asked. The Chief sniffed the air.

"Ah, hell," he muttered.

"What?"

"Keep quiet," said Price. "And keep still." Cass looked between the two men as their eyes darted back and forth.

"…What's going…" She yelped as something shot from the ground and latched onto her horse, knocking it over and sending her to the floor.

"Dammit all!" Chief took out his revolver and fired at the attacker, sending it to the ground as the horse whinnied in distress. "Hop on!" Cass glanced at her horse as it thrashed, trying to get up to run away and failing. "Quit your gaping and hop on!" Cass hesitated before hopping on as whatever attacked her horse came back up and latched onto its neck before it started coiling around it as the remaining horses took off. They rode for a few minutes before coming to a stop. Cass turned to them.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Adder," said Price. "Radscorpions and Mole rats aren't the only digging Critters in Texas. Adders joined that mix as well. They popped up all around Texas about 90, 100 years ago and started multiplying like Radrabbits. They'd've overrun the place if it hadn't been for them being a nice snack for Deathclaws. Nice enough that they spend more time hunting them rather than us."

"Be careful if you encounter one," said the Chief. "Their venom can kill you in seconds. Anything larger than us tends to be in immense pain and can't get away as the Adder gets ready to eat."

"I take it they evolved from…"

"Not evolution. They're a mix of a variety of snakes," said Price. "Vault…" He paused as he wracked his brain. "…16, I think. They were doing genesplicing experiments there. Gave us some actual Texas sized trouble when the beasts got out."

"Genesplicing?"

"Mixing different genetic traits together and making something new. They combined different types of snakes together, made the Adders. That was the more common one. They also mixed human DNA with reptilian DNA and tiger hormones; those would be Screechers. Ambush hunters and aggressive as hell. You'll find them in more forested areas or in cities where their scales can blend in. They're clever and they have been known to leave the forests of Texas to head into the city ruins like Texas City."

"Where exactly is Vault 16?"

"In the Gulf," said the Chief.

"How'd they get to the mainland?"

"Vault 16 had an escape tunnel leading to the mainland in case the pressure from the water got too much and the people inside needed to escape, leaving the experiments behind to die. They never counted on a Screecher being smart enough to learn how to trick them. Poor idiotic geniuses. Never saw it coming. When we went to the Vault some 50 years back, we learned that the lone survivor was locked away in the Overseer office. Made sure a detailed account of everything that happened was left on an intact holotape. Most of the abominations were killed by the Apex Predators, but the smarter ones managed to hide until the Screecher pack leader opened the escape tunnel. A few actually were sea creatures and managed to escape their pen and got out to the open ocean. Don't even want to know how that happened or what they are. Not many of the Apex Predators are left, they were either hunted, fought each other, or fought a Claw and died. Course they could also make like some of the other abominations and be hiding. Adders were among the creatures that managed to stay hidden as they ventured to what we know as their breeding grounds. Which is supposed to be a few dozen miles north of here, one near the Desert Wastes to the west, and one somewhere near Brownsville. The fact that they're so far away from the nearest burrow is not good."

"Why?"

"Only time Adders leave their burrows for different soil," said Price. "Is when a pack of Deathclaws is nearby. Dammit. I'll scout the area! You two get to Austin! There's a Ranger there recruiting! Let him know we've got Claws pushing Adders closer to New Austin!"

"And after that," asked the Chief.

"Find me and help deal with the Claws so we can get the Adders away from there! Yah!" The Chief cursed before turning Sarah to Austin.

"Come on, girl!" Cass turned to him as they galloped down the road, holding onto her hat.

"Back there," she said. "What were you smelling?!"

"Adders give off a faint smell. It's faint enough that most newcomers don't catch it and end up Adder chow! It's a fairly sweet scent, more than likely to attract prey! I've captured a few of them in the past to get my men used to the smell so they know what to look out for!"

"And why did Price slow down?!"

"Probably something he noticed was missing on his trip to town. Rangers always pay attention to the landscape. Making sure there're no ambushes. They also have keen memories, making sure they keep track of certain things. He might have spotted some wildlife that was no longer grazing nearby, or an empty snakeskin. Whatever the case, if he hadn't slowed when he did, I wouldn't have been able to scare off the other Adder."

"There was two?"

"Yeah. Adders are smart little fuckers. One takes out one of their prey with a bite, and they alternate. They've used this to take down a few caravans around their nesting holes."

"Why haven't you dealt with them?"

"Can't ever find most of the fuckers. We always miss one or two and they keep sprouting back up." After half an hour the two humans and horse made their way through to a walled off town and stopped a few hundred feet away from the entrance as the Chief heard the cocking of a repeater. "Dammit." In front of them a few raiders started charging at them, some lobbing grenades as they went. The Chief pulled out his revolver and shot the grenades out of the air with impeccable aim as Cass hopped off Sarah and went behind a burned out Corvega for cover before firing at the raiders with her own rifle, a Marksman Carbine with an old Army paint job. The Chief maneuvered Sarah of harms way behind a building before pulling out Betty and taking quick and careful aim at the raiders' legs and hands.

One raider, this one wearing an old suit of T45-d Power Armor charged forward with an axe in hand. The raider clicked a button and the head of the axe started spinning rapidly before he chucked it at Cass. "What the," exclaimed Cass as she rolled away from it before scrambling out of cover. She grunted as the raider kicked the Corvega, smashing it into her side and knocking her down as the Chief incapacitated the rest of the raiders. He turned to the armored raider as he picked up the axe and tackled the man to the ground. He pulled out his revolver and slid it under the slit of the helmet. He squeezed the trigger and the raider went still with a bang. He shook his head as he saw the insignia on the armor.

"Caballero," he muttered. He shook his head as Cass looked at the insignia and saw a sword in front of a gear.

"Brotherhood," she asked.

"Former." He tapped his revolver to the insignia and showed a deep burn across the blade. "The Caballeros arrived in Texas about fifty years ago. Took over a military base north of San Antonio. Occasionally, we get some of them scouring the ruins, looking for any lost tech. All of them with some weird doodad like that axe there. A few years ago, the Caballeros had themselves a little civil war. We treated a few of their scribes who had come to San Antonio to avoid the fighting."

"What were they fighting about?"

"Hell if I know. The scribes didn't tell us a thing before they decided to check back in. Since then the Caballeros have rarely made an appearance. They just stayed held up in Fort McClintock. Some of the people who rebelled scattered and joined some raider factions. They hold no love for their former brothers in arms and show that by defacing their emblems." Cass stayed quiet for a moment before getting up. She looked behind him and gasped.

"Chief! Watch out!" The Chief turned around in time to see a raider with a super sledge about to cave his head in when three rapid shots sounded next to him and the raider dropped. He turned his revolver towards the shots and found his vision obscured by the sun. The figure in front of the sun slung a hunting rifle over his back and seemed to have a large sombrero on his head.

"You know," said the voice of a ghoul with a gruff Spanish accent. "When you're going to thank someone, it's generally acceptable to put your gun away."

"Jesus, Raul," said Cass with an exasperated sigh. "You couldn't have killed him faster?"

"Sorry, Cass. Guess I'll hurry and shoot wildly instead of lining up my shots and risk my bullets hitting you next time."

"A ghoul," asked the Chief.

"He's the friend who went ahead to Austin, Chief," said Cass.

"And I'm the ghoul who saved your sorry head from being turned into pool of blood," said Raul. The chief sighed before holstering his revolver and standing up.

"Gracias," he said.

"De nada." He nodded to the raiders. "These sorry guys had been giving the townsfolk a bit of trouble recently. Thought I'd lend them a hand in getting rid of them." Raul walked towards them and the Chief spotted a bright poncho on the ghoul.

"Seems like you're a crack shot." He nudged the raider and saw the grouping of the bullets. "Damn good placements. With a hunting rifle no less."

"And no scope," said Cass with a grin.

"Bullshit." Raul brought his rifle forward and handed it to the Chief. He looked the rifle over in his hands and saw the Mexican flag wrapped around the butt of the gun. He saw no scope on the rifle and turned to the ghoul. "That must've been at least forty feat."

"Forty-two feet, Jefe," said Raul. "Sorry about the delay in helping. These old eyes ain't what they used to be."

"Don't be like that," said Cass as she hugged the ghoul. "I thought we talked you out of talking yourself down."

"Just calling it like it is, Cass. Any sign of the boss?" Cass shook her head.

"None."

"I take it the boss is who you're looking for," asked the Chief.

"That's right. You might know 'em as the Courier."

"Never was much for listening to Wasteland Legends."

"Trust us, Jefe," said Raul. "The Courier is real. The boss has a bone to pick with the current Caesar. We're tailing her, trying to help."

"So this is all for revenge for y'all. Welp, not my problem. Come on. We gotta warn the Ranger about the Claws."

"Oh, Deathclaws. I thought we were done running off on suicide missions."

"Just because Courier got a sense of reason doesn't mean that life is over for us," said Cass.

"Great. I always wanted to be Deathclaw food." The Chief went and calmed down Sarah before bringing her back over, making Raul stare slightly. "A normal horse? I haven't seen one of these since before the War."

"Old World Ghoul," asked the Chief.

"Yeah. Very old."

"Well, Raul. Welcome to Texas. Let's get going. We need to get the Ranger and some Hunters out there fast or New Austin is Adder chow."

"Adders," asked Raul.

"Snakes," said Cass. "From Vault 16. They took out the horse I was riding. They're big."

"And they're normal burrows are being infested by Deathclaws. We need to either drive them away or kill them off."

"Alright, Jefe," Raul. "Lead the way."

* * *

**(Fort McClintock)**

Veronica sighed as she sat in an interrogation room and looked at the double paned glass. "I have to pee," she called. "Can I use the restroom before I make a puddle in here?" She sighed after a minute of silence. "Guess not then." After another minute, a man walked into the room and sat in front of her. "Finally. Can I get a Deathclaw omelet and a Nuka-Cola?"

"Veronica Santangelo," said the man in front of her. "Scribe. Orphaned. Raised by Elder Elijah and dutifully followed him to the Mojave after the war with the NCR. When Elder Elijah abandoned your chapter, you tried going back for him but followed the orders of the Paladin who was next in line. McNamara."

"Oh good. You've got my file."

"Had multiple conflicts of interest with both Elders…"

"Oh, you're not finished."

"…Had a relationship with former Brotherhood member Christine Royce. Forced to end said relationship because it did not fit Brotherhood views and especially not with Elder Elijah. More conflict with McNamara led to you being distant to your chapter and sent on constant supply runs. Reports show you aiding NCR along with the rest of your Chapter against the Legion in a battle to claim Old World site Hoover Dam, a main power source in the Old World, and for the NCR and New Vegas. Since then, you have been seen helping keep order in now NCR claimed New Vegas, having parted ways with the Brotherhood."

"…How do you know so much about me?"

"You are friends with the Hero of New Vegas and Liberator of Hoover Dam, the woman known as the Courier, no known information has been obtained on her. Speculations are…"

"I think that's enough, Paladin," said a woman beside Veronica. The man nodded before slipping the papers he'd been reading in a folder. "Former Scribe Santangelo. I am Elder Shield. I understand you came to us asking for help."

"That's right."

"Tell me. Why come to us? You left the Brotherhood."

"But I still respect our teachings. I came here because I didn't know who else would help me. We already had people asking the locals for help and…"

"We," asked the Paladin.

"She's talking about her friends who she traveled here with. Rose of Sharon Cassidy and Raul Tejada," said Shield.

"Ok," said Veronica. "Now you're starting to creep me out. How the hell do you know so much about us?!" Elder Shield stared at her for a moment before nodding to the Paladin and closing the door before tapping on the glass. The Paladin turned to her.

"What do you know about the Circle of Steel?" Veronica looked between them.

"I… heard rumors. A shadow council aside from the Council of Elders. But they were just rumors."

"Not rumors," said Shield. "The Circle is a real faction within the Brotherhood. At least we were until about ten years ago. Several of the Elders learned of our members. They didn't like how I was running it and sent a message. A member of mine who'd been monitoring tensions between NCR and Legion after the First Battle of Hoover Dam turned up dead, his body shipped back to us. He'd been killed by energy weapon fire and when he arrived, several men loyal to the Elders turned their weapons on me and the members of the Circle that were loyal to me. We were forced to combat our former brothers and sisters and outed the traitors after a full day of fighting. The traitors have since scattered to the wind and gone dark."

"What is the Circle, if you don't mind my asking?"

"We are the ones who protect the Brotherhood from itself," said the Paladin. "Men like Father Elijah, fanatics who failed to understand the real reason Maxson started collecting technology. But with us no longer official members of the Brotherhood, now a fanatic is bound to rise to power in the Brotherhood. I think it's already happened in the Capital Wasteland. Our last reports said that a young man was quickly rising through the ranks. Arthur Maxson."

"So all the people here…"

"Are the remaining members of the Circle," said Shield. "They received orders on their secret communication channels to report to me and abandon their chapters, fake their deaths if they had to. Give me what ever reports they gathered but leave their Chapters behind. If the Circle was being hunted, I was going to protect my people. We would protect the true goal of the Brotherhood of Steel and teach the Wasteland how to properly handle technology when they were ready."

"You had spies in the other Chapters?"

"I did. Your…" Shield cleared her throat. "'Friend', was one of them. One of the best. As for how we know so much, we keep eyes on areas with significant population sizes." Veronica stared at her, her mind running through everyone she still considered a friend in the Brotherhood. "But, that's enough talking about the Circle. Just know that our mutual parting with the Brotherhood makes us stronger as allies than adversaries, as such I'm willing to extend my hand in friendship.. Now. I understand the famous Courier has made her way to Texas?"

* * *

**(Amarillo)**

A woman with short white hair overlooked the razed town. She looked through the scope of a black colored sniper rifle and sighed as she saw the red bull flying over the homes and burnt fields. "Dammit," she muttered.

"Any survivors," asked another woman beside her. She had short blonde hair barely obscuring a few scars on her head and knelt beside her companion.

"A few. They're trapped in cages for now."

"We saving them?"

"Do you want to? I know you only came along as a favor."

"More than a favor. It was about time I left that damn place. Thought I'd die in there alone with nothing but the Ghosts."

"You could've…"

"Someone needed to watch over the place. But when you came back…"

"Hey. I wasn't going to abandon you. I found the way back in the Empty. Found your original voice, by the way. If we ever find an Auto-doc…"

"I've actually gotten used to this one. I actually passed the time practicing my singing most days."

"Well with nothing better to do, I'm not surprised. Though I can't imagine the Ghosts were a great audience."

"You can imagine. Whenever I was singing, and not the speakers, a few of the Ghosts actually wandered over to listen. Course I had to kill them soon after."

"Of course." The sniper zoomed in on one of the cages. "Some pretty girls in there."

"Mind out of gutters."

"I'm just making a statement."

"No wonder I felt a bit uneasy in Puesta del Sol."

"Hey, don't be ashamed of your body. It's gorgeous."

"And you're a pervert." They stayed silent as the sniper watched the camp. "…You still haven't told me. How he was."

"Who?"

"You know who. Played an important part in both of our lives? Followed you across the Divide?"

"Oh. He was… content, when I last saw him. Like you he resigned himself to guarding the place we met at. Seems like that's a trend no matter where I go. You, him, Joshua Graham. Me… It makes me wonder what'll happen when we're long gone. Who's going to take on the roles we would leave behind."

"If that's the case, why are you here? Now?"

"The new Caesar killed a friend of mine before their trek east. A message. The Legion never forgets. I took their leaders. They took a friend." She stayed silent as she zoomed in on a number of Legionaries out on patrol. "Son of a bitch…"

"What is it?"

"What does it take to kill that bastard?"

"Who?"

"A slippery fucking fox." The sniper slung her rifle across her back before she started climbing down the billboard they used as a perch, her companion following not long after. They agreed to wait until the cover of night before infiltrating the razed city.

* * *

**(Austin)**

The Chief stepped into the repurposed Super Mart that the NTG was using as a recruitment office and looked around. Several men and woman wearing Power Armor painted black with a white star painted on the right shoulder pauldron. The Texas flag, a single white star with a rattle snake laying inside, coiled to strike, on top of a blue square. With the rise of the NTG, the old Texas flag was retired and stored within the NTG Capital Building, the former City Hall.

"Nice to know the NCR aren't the only ones reusing Brotherhood armor," said Cass.

"It's not Brotherhood, ma'am," said a woman behind them. They spotted a woman wearing black combat armor, the white star on the same shoulder as the Power Armor. "Before the Caballeros took over McClintock, NTG scoured the place and brought in the Power Armor that was stored there. The ones we could get to, anyways. You folks from out west?"

"She is," said the Chief. "I'm Chief Markus Rhodes, Alamo City."

"So, you're the Chief." She shook the man's hand. "Elite Ranger Vanessa Rodriguez. Gotta say I was expectin' someone… older."

"Funny, they're always sayin' I'm too old. We're looking for the Ranger that's recruiting here."

"Yer looking at her. How can I help you?"

"Price told us to find you," said Cass. "We've got a problem."

"Ok, and that problem would be?"

"Claws," said the Chief. "They've driven the Adders out of their nest north of the Austin Trail."

"Dammit. Listen, I've got my hands full here with recruitin'. I can't just up and leave with the Bulls so close to the eastern half of the state. Best I can do is send a few of our boys to the Adder Burrow. Where's Price?"

"He went scouting ahead." The Ranger sighed and ran a hand through her black hair.

"Cabrón. He's always going off alone without back up!" She sighed before turning to the Chief. "Listen, a few days ago, we managed to salvage some reworked weapons from some dead Caballeros. Armor piercing weapons. We were planning on using them against the Centurians, but with Claws driving Adders close to Austin, we don't have much choice. If you came in on a horse, leave it here in Austin. We'll look after it. The weapons are in a truck just outside town. You know how to drive?"

"No. It's a lost talent."

"Dammit."

"Uh," said Raul. "It's been a couple centuries, but I can drive."

"Good. Get that truck to the Adder Burrow and clear out those Claws. My men will meet you up there to help take care of stragglers."

"How do you have fuel for a truck," asked Cass.

"Adders may be a deadly nuisance," said the Chief. "But their waste is good for a clean burn."

"You mean…"

"It runs on Adder shit," said the Ranger with chuckle. With that, the Chief, Cass and Raul left through the southern exit of New Austin and made their way to the marked truck Ranger Rodriguez mentioned and Raul check the fuel tank with a gag as he closed it.

"Yep," he said. "Smells like shit."

"How did you ever find out about this," asked Cass.

"Far as I know, a man got drunk near the Burrow, saw the Adders coming, lobbed a Molotov at them sombitches and blew himself to kingdom come. Scared the hell out of the Adders and led to an investigation when they took out a caravan. Saw the remains of the poor drunk."

"What was he doing out there?"

"Hell if I know. He wasn't near Alamo City, he wasn't my problem."

"And why exactly is that?"

"My job is to protect the people of Alamo City. Not act like a goddamn investigator outside it. Frankly, if it didn't mean I'd be protecting my home, I wouldn't be out here preparin' to fight a war."

"At all?"

"Listen, I'm not one of them Vault shut ins who can't be bothered to leave their comfy beds to do actual work. I aim to protect everyone living in Alamo City."

"So you're first priority is the Vault?"

"No. It's Alamo City. Vault 28 is just a part of it. There are children there who can help the future, scientists who can try and see if they can develop new tech from the remains of the old. The NTG had the benefit of two Control Vaults being in Texas thanks to the massive area of the state, if we fall, NTG loses a major trading and resource center. Of course the other Vaults had their own slew of messes to make things harder."

"How many Vaults are in Texas?"

"Five in total." The Chief checked the back of the truck before seeing the weapons and whistled. "Damn." He closed the gate and looked at her. "28 and 25 were the only control Vaults in Texas. 16 was genetic experiments. Vault 18 is located in the Panhandle a few miles outside Amarillo. No doubt the Legion will use it as a staging area, if only for the first moments of their campaign. After a month, I think they'll abandon it."

"What's the experiment there?"

"No idea, but if it's anything like the rumors suggest, the Legion won't stick around for long."

"What do those rumors say," asked Raul.

"Rumors say it's ghosts haunting the place. Don't exactly know the details but the Vault itself wasn't opened at all since it closed during the War. Only when prospectors opened it themselves did they get in. Place was long abandoned, no body in sight. No other way out and weird markings made of blood on the walls. Us being Texans, and our close relation to Prewar families of Mexican descent, we know to respect the dead and no one has been in there since. If the Legion have set up shot, may whatever god they pray to have mercy on their damn souls."

"What about the last Vault," asked Cass.

"Right, Vault 30. That one we avoid like the plague. Mainly because that's what it is."

"What?"

"Vault 30's test for it's residents was sick. For some reason, Vault-Tec decided they wanted to test human resilience to some sort of fungus. It was modified before being released on the people inside. I know this cause my Pops was part of the investigation team. Their reactor failed on them, turning the people into feral ghouls. Creepy part of it that he told me about, they were all covered in the fungus. It even adapted to the radiation and was able to grow faster than anything, covering a member of the investigation team. Pops told me they set the whole place to blow and it's one giant crater now."

"What the hell was wrong with Vault-Tec?!"

"They were just a bunch of rich pendejos trying to save their own asses," said Raul. "Hope you two are ready to go. If we're going to kill some Deathclaws, we should do it fast."

"Right you are, Mr. Tejada," said the Chief as he helped Cass into the cab first and following after her.

"Where to, Jefe?"

"Follow the 71. Adder Junction is in Horseshoe Bay."

"Right away, Jefe."


End file.
